Switching from Fitbit to Garmin

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kgirlhart
kgirlhart Posts: 4,976 Member
edited December 2017 in Fitness and Exercise
I got a Garmin FR35 for Christmas. I have been using a Fitbit One. I am in maintenance. I have my activity level set to active. Should I change these settings? I'm not really sure what to set my activity to on Garmin. I do yoga 5 days a week for about 30 minutes and I run 4 times a weeks. Any advice?
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  • pogiguy05
    pogiguy05 Posts: 1,583 Member
    edited December 2017
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    Well I have a Fitbit Ionic and remember someone saying that these high tech gadgets need time to learn your levels first. Also like people do for MFP they set things to low levels to get the minimum calorie levels as well. Even though they might be highly active they set MFP to sedentary.

    I dont know garmin but I am assuming it also learns over time from your activity levels. maybe someone who has one can say more.

    Maybe look at youtube for reviews to learn more
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 4,976 Member
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    I've been pretty inactive today. I'm sure it will take some time to figure it all out.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
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    I moved from Fitbit to Garmin a year ago.

    You know me, and know I run about 4 times a week. I average about 17,000 steps a day.

    I have my MFP activity level set to sedentary and let Garmin add my exercise calories which I eat back.

    I think if you have your activity level set higher, you might start the day with a negative or very low calorie limit.

    I never understood what to set my Garmin activity level to. I asked here, on the Garmin forums, and through their help desk. Nobody could answer the question. Changing it didn't seem to make a difference. I've had mine set on 3 for about 10 (?) months.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 4,976 Member
    edited December 2017
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    Thanks @Orphia. I never really know what to set things at since I have a sedentary job but I am not usually sedentary. I was on Christmas though. Lol. I will probably leave the settings where they are for now and just try to eat ~2100 and see if that will work.

    The weather looks pretty bad for tomorrow (actually later today) but I am going to try to get in at least a short run. I'm pretty excited to take the garmin for a run.
  • Catawampous
    Catawampous Posts: 447 Member
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    https://support.garmin.com/faqSearch/en-US/faq/content/DJEru6ns626MZTh2kvUXZA

    Maybe this will help? I have MFP set to sedentary and have enabled negative adjustments. My Garmin is on 3 based on the info in that link. So far so good but I don't run or bike near as much as you all.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 4,976 Member
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    Thanks for the chart. According that mine should be set at 8? I'm not too sure i feel comfortable putting myself in athlete mode.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    Activity level doesn't matter in recent Garmin units. It was important for older ones but the new ones just use their own history of how much you've actually moved instead. That's a big part of why it takes a couple of weeks for the thing to learn about you.
  • Catawampous
    Catawampous Posts: 447 Member
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    I definitely have noticed an adjustment with mine. It is going on 3 weeks now and just over the last couple of days has seemed to even out and be pretty steady.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 4,976 Member
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    Thanks! I'll give it a few weeks and then see if I need to make any adjustments.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
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    Interesting info, @Catawampous and @NorthCascades. Thanks.

    @kgirlhart I meant to say congratulations on your new Forerunner 35! Nice watch.

    If I hadn't had help paying for my Fenix 5, that's the watch I would have got. Very nifty!
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 4,976 Member
    edited December 2017
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    I'm already confused about my calorie goal. Mfp shows: 1840 (goal) - 1641 (food) - 12 (exercise) = 187 remaining.
    Garmin connect shows: 1840 (goal) + 365 (active) = 2205 (adjusted goal)
    2205 - 1640 (consumed) = 565 remaining.

    Not really sure which amount I should be trying to reach. I really thought the two numbers would be closer to each other.

    Maybe Garmin is off since it is new and hasn't had a chance to "get used to me" yet. But using my own data for the past year I believe my Tdee is ~2100.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    edited December 2017
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    I never look at the Garmin calorie count. Couldn't tell you if it's right or not.

    I just maintain my goal weight by letting Garmin add exercise calories to MFP's calorie limit, and I eat 95% of them back. Been maintaining this way for 20 months.
  • gurpreetgs2567
    gurpreetgs2567 Posts: 3 Member
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    Please someone tell me that this app show me 1500 calories 1 day i don't know is this calorie i can gain or remove..
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 4,976 Member
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    Thanks @orphia. Fitbit calories were always off for me. I have been trying to maintain for 17 months, but I have had a hard time finding my maintenance calories. I've thought about just using Tdee, but I do sometimes have less active days and I prefer to eat more on active days and less on less active days.
  • WandaVaughn
    WandaVaughn Posts: 420 Member
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    Stopped to read this thread. Hubby says I can has tracker. Was just looking at a Garmin vivofit. My needs are simple. Opinions?
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
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    kgirlhart wrote: »
    Thanks @orphia. Fitbit calories were always off for me. I have been trying to maintain for 17 months, but I have had a hard time finding my maintenance calories. I've thought about just using Tdee, but I do sometimes have less active days and I prefer to eat more on active days and less on less active days.

    @kgirlhart Yes, I've seen your weight going down and down in the maintaining check-in thread.

    Do you keep an eye on your weekly net calories?
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
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    WandaVaughn wrote: »
    Stopped to read this thread. Hubby says I can has tracker. Was just looking at a Garmin vivofit. My needs are simple. Opinions?

    @WandaVaughn Hmm, a runner whose needs are simple. Does not compute! :wink:

    The vivofit 3 is pretty cool. No heart rate monitor, though, if that makes a difference.

    How much are you thinking of spending? The Forerunner 35 would be my recommendation for you, a runner who's made a fair bit of progress.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    Orphia wrote: »
    I never look at the Garmin calorie count. Couldn't tell you if it's right or not.

    I just maintain my goal weight by letting Garmin add exercise calories to MFP's calorie limit, and I eat 95% of them back. Been maintaining this way for 20 months.

    I go by the MFP calories remaining when I track. The Garmin picks up my exercise and my walking around outside of exercise, adjusts MFP, and it works for me.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    I've never used a FitBit. But i did finally buy a Garmin Fenix 5X. I don't synch it with MFP. I actually enter my swims using the MFP selection. MFP is more conservative by about 400 calories when I swim 4 miles.
    For me i just use it for swimming and hiking. I could not care less about step tracking. That is not accurate with any of the devices.
    The HR tracking can show progress too. Watch your resting heart rate. As fitness improves, resting heart rate decreases.
  • WandaVaughn
    WandaVaughn Posts: 420 Member
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    @Orphia I'll look at them tomorrow.

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